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#GuestPost What Goes Down by Natalie K. Martin @natkmartin @NeverlandBT

Morning lovelies, hope you are all having a great weekend! Today we have best selling author, and fellow yogi, Natalie K. Martin tells us what being an author will teach you but first let’s learn a little about the book.

WHAT GOES DOWNis an emotional, must-read novel of love, loss and second chances. Set in the present day and late 80’s, WHAT GOES DOWN deals with relationships touched by mental illness, and is perfect for fans of Amanda Prowse and Julie Cohen.

Seph Powell has all she ever wanted: a close family, loving boyfriend and her dream career. A gifted artist with a highly anticipated exhibition just weeks away, her life seems to be perfect. Until a man she’s never met claims to be her real father.

Laurel and Tony Powell are devoted parents. Having worked hard to provide everything for their daughter, they’ve created an enviable, picture-perfect family. Until Laurel’s ex-boyfriend, Nico, comes back into their lives.

In the summer of 1987, Nico stole Laurel’s heart with promises of adventure and excitement. But when he disappeared without trace, he left her as a single, teenaged parent. Now, twenty-five years later, he’s back and keen to meet the daughter he left behind.

But Nico’s sudden reappearance shows that nothing is quite as it first seems. And as long hidden truths are exposed, everything Seph thought she knew about her life begins to unravel.

Things being an author will teach you

There will be highs

In December 2014, I got my happy-ever-after. I’d quit my job, booked a one-way ticket to Goa, and landed a top-drawer agent and two-book publishing contract. After meeting my awesome boyfriend in India, I returned to London for the release of my second novel, Love You Better, and found myself in a whirlwind of radio interviews, chatting with book journalists over cocktails and getting reviews in national magazines and newspapers. Life literally could not get any better.

But there will also be lows

There has to be right? What goes up has to come down and all that (a concept that was the inspiration for the title of What Goes Down). Putting myself in the shoes of someone whose life and mental health is falling apart was challenging to say the least. Last August, I sat in a cafe in central Germany scrawling alternative scenarios and ideas in my notepad for six hours straight. While everyone outside was eating ice-creams or drinking radlers (beer + lemonade, basically shandy), I was almost in tears. And then I called it quits. Did it hurt? Yes. But was I about to literally have a breakdown over it? No. Instead, I called my agent, told him I was putting it on hold and shelved it.

Characters will take on a life of their own

After giving up on What Goes Down, I came up with a plot for what will now be Book Four. I was adamant that Seph and Laurel just weren’t real enough for their story to be told. But then I woke up one night, drenched in sweat after dreaming about a critical part in Seph’s story. The next day, I got straight back to it and everything had changed. Both Seph and Laurel’s characters developed in ways I could never have seen coming and, less than two months later, the manuscript was finished.

Never Take Anything for granted

A book deal, agent, money in the bank and being able to travel while writing and generally having a whale of a time? Superb. But one thing I’ve learned about being a writer so far, is that everything can change. Despite the reassurances of family and friends, I found myself without a new contract. Not the end of the world, but after an expensive stint travelling and emigrating? I soon found myself looking for a job and missing free healthcare (God bless the NHS).

Despite all the ups and downs, you’ll want to do it anyway

I’m not that writer who has a desperate need to write every day. Most of the time it’s a real challenge to actually get on with it (queen of procratination over here). Sometimes I’m convinced I’m writing the. worst. things. ever and nobody will want to read it. And if they do, they’ll leave scathing reviews and tell me not to give up my day job. It can be tough when you feel like you’re not getting any traction or stumbling over writers block, but I’ll tell you what, when I don’t write, I get gnarly and moody and frustrated. And when somebody tweets or sends a message on Facebook to tell me they loved one of my books, I feel the best kind of happiness. No matter the highs and lows, if you’ve chosen to write, chances are you’ll become hooked.

And remember, like John Lennon said: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

How about entering this awesome giveaway.

This giveaway is UK only.

One lucky winner will receive £10 Amazon giftcard, a Stag necklace and a copy of the book.

In 2014, Sheffield born Natalie K. Martin left her corporate job in London to experience the world – heading off on travels that took her as far as Cambodia, India and Thailand, and changed her outlook on life for good. Whilst in India, she self-published her debut novel, Together Apart, which became a No.1 bestseller on the Amazon charts. Her second novel, Love You Better, became a bestseller on release in October 2015.

Never one to shy away from tough subjects, Natalie’s books tackle issues that are relevant and relatable to the everyday woman, and all feature true-to-life characters – people who could easily be your mum, sister, or best friend. This is what she calls: Contemporary Fiction with Love. Natalie’s books have been featured in The Daily Mail, Woman’s Own, Pride Magazine and Female First. She has been interviewed on radio including BBC Radio Sheffield and Manx Radio, and has also written articles for Kindred Spirit Magazine, Do What You Love and Your Wellness Magazine.

A trained Yoga Teacher with a love of surfing, Natalie’s backpack is now taking a short but well-earned rest. These days, she can be found in the historical city of Ulm in Southern Germany, where she’s settled with the charming Bavarian man who swept her off her feet in India. Natalie is represented by Jon Elek at United Agents.